11:47 Not worthy of Nobel Peace Prize: Imran Khan : Pakistan PM Imran Khan has said that the person who solves the Kashmir issue according to the wishes of the Kashmiri people and paves the way for peace and human development in the sub-continent will be worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize.
In a tweet today after Pakistanis came out in support of Imran Khan demanding the Nobel Peace Prize for releasing the IAF pilot, Abhinandan Varthaman, the Pak PM said that he is not worthy of the prize.
A day after Wing Commander Varthaman was released by Pakistan, on Saturday, a resolution was submitted in the Pakistan Parliament to endorse Imran Khan for the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize due to his ‘efforts to de-escalate resent tension with India’.
The resolution stated that Khan’s decision of releasing Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan has de-escalated the hostility between Pakistan and India. According to the resolution, Khan acted responsibly in the current tension and “deserves the Nobel Peace Prize”.
11:32 Proud to wear army fatigues: Manoj Tiwari: BJP MP and Delhi Chief Manoj Tiwari reacts to flak on wearing army fatigues at a party rally in Delhi on March 2: “From time to time, I wear armed forces caps, t-shirts, I feel proud to wear it, to respect the armed forces is patriotism. The people of the country are proud to wear it.”
11:30 Generous Indians donate for slain CRPF jawans: In Bharuch notes showered on singers at a charity event held to collect funds for the family of CRPF soldiers who lost their lives in the Pulwama attack. The singer didn’t charge money for his performance.
11:20 Pak restores Samjhauta Express services to Delhi: Pakistani authorities on Monday restored the Samjhauta Express services between Lahore and Delhi, days after the train was suspended due to tense bilateral ties. The train departs on Monday and Thursday from Lahore. The Samjhauta Express carrying some 150 passengers left Lahore railway station for India, Radio Pakistan reported.
The train, named after the Hindi word “agreement”, comprises six sleeper coaches and an AC 3-tier coach. The train service was started on July 22, 1976 under the Shimla Agreement that settled the 1971 war between the two nations. PTI
11:00 ‘India committed to peace, but will use all our might to protect nation’:
President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday said India is committed to peace but will use all our might to protect the nation if the need arises.
He said the countrys valour was on display when, on February 26, the Indian Air Force conducted pre-emptive air strikes on a terrorist camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot, Pakistan.
Kovind, the Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, was speaking in Tamil Nadu, where he was awarding the Presidents Colours to Air Force Station, Hakimpet, and 5 Base Repair Depot at the Air Force Station, Sulur.
India remains firmly committed to peace, but in case the need arises, we will use all our might to protect the nation, the President said. Our Armed Forces reflect our resolve. This valour was on display very recently, as the IAF carried out preemptive strikes on a terrorist camp.
Indian Air Force has over the years grown into a modern, technology-intensive force distinguished by its commitment to excellence and professionalism. IAF continues to modernise in a rapid manner and is in the process of a very comprehensive modernisation plan, he added.
Presidents Colours is among the highest honours bestowed upon an Air Force Unit or Squadron in recognition of its exceptional services to the nation, both during war and in peace.
10:31 Election Commission to review poll preparedness in Jammu & Kashmir on March 4 and 5 ahead of Lok Sabha elections; EC to meet police, district administration and political parties during their visit to the state.
10:15 4 killed in coal mine mishap in Nagaland:
Four miners have been killed following mudslides at an illegal coal mine at Yonglok village in Longleng district of Nagaland, police said on Monday.
The incident happened on Saturday when the four victims, all from Assam, had gone to the abandoned mine to collect their belongings.
They reportedly got stuck inside the open-cast mine on the Assam-Nagaland border following mudslides, police said.
The mine was recently shut down following a state government order banning illegal coal mining and a provisional ban on licensed mining activity, police said.
The victims, hailing from upper Assam, have been identified as Jiten Tanti, Krishna Gogoi, Tutu Deka and Shushan Phukon.
The post-mortem was not done on the bodies at the request of the victims’ families. The bodies were delivered to the families after an undertaking.
The Nagaland incident has occurred within three months of the Meghalaya mine tragedy in which 15 miners were trapped in an illegal rat-hole mine in East Jaintia Hills district. Rescuers have been able to retrieve only two highly decomposed bodies from the quarry.
— PTI
09:48 Congress blasts Amit Shah for saying 250 terrorists killed in Balakot strike:
Congress leader Manish Tewari accused Amit Shah on Monday of using India’s airstrikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed for political gain, pointing to the BJP president’s claim that more that 250 terrorists were killed in the operation.
Made furious by a suicide bombing that killed 40 of its paramilitary personnel, India said last week it had carried out a pre-emptive strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot, located in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. A ministry of external affairs statement made on the same day said a large number of terrorists had been eliminated.
Later, the Indian Air Force said there was evidence that its jets had hit their intended targets but that it was premature to assess casualties.
Manish Tewari referred to the IAF’s description of what unfolded in Balakot when he asked, of Amit Shah’s remarks: “Is this not milking airstrikes for politics?”
He tweeted, “AVM RGK Kapoor said “it would be premature to say that what is the number of casualties that we have been able to inflict on those camps and what is the number of deaths,” BUT @AmitShah says over 250 Terrorists killed in airstrike. Is this not milking Air Strikes for Politics????”
P Chidambaram, also a top Congress leader, asked who put out the number of casualties at 300-350.
Chidambaram said it was the political party behind the government which had fed the news that over 300 or 350 jihadis had been killed. He also praised the Air Force and the MEA for what he said were restrained statements.
“As a proud citizen I am prepared to believe my government. But if we want the world to believe, government must make the effort, not indulge in Opposition-bashing,” Chidambaram tweeted on Monday.
09:35 Pakistan violates ceasefire in Akhnoor sector:
Pakistan on Monday violated ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir’s Akhnoor sector.
Firing from across the border started at 3 am and stopped at 6:30 am. Indian Army retaliated effectively.
Further details are currently awaited.
Last week Pakistan had violated ceasefire several times in Nowshera, Mendhar and Krishna Ghati sectors in Rajouri district, Gawahalan, Chokas, Kiker and Kathi posts in the Uri sector and Poonch.
— ANI
09:21 Manoj Tiwari dons military fatigues at party rally, draws flak:
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari has drawn flak for attending a party rally in military fatigues.
Tiwari flagged off a BJP bike rally in the Yamuna Vihar area in his North East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency on Saturday wearing military fatigues.
Drawing flak, Tiwari tweeted on Sunday, “I wore (it) simply because I felt proud of my Army. I am not in Indian army but I was expressing my feeling of solidarity. Why should it be treated like an insult? I have the highest regard for our Army. By (this) logic, tomorrow if I wear a Nehru Jacket, will it be an insult to Jawaharlal Nehru?”
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien said it was a “shameless act” on Tiwari’s part.
“Shameless. Shameless. Shameless. Manoj Tewari BJP MP and Delhi President wearing Armed Forces uniform and seeking votes. BJP-Modi-Shah insulting and politicising our jawans. And then giving lectures on patriotism. Low life,” he tweeted, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.
— PTI
09:06 Jaish chief Masood Azhar is ‘not dead’, says Pak media report:
India’s most wanted terrorist and Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar is “alive”, a Pakistani media report said on Sunday, quoting unnamed sources close to his family.
The media reports claiming that JeM leader is dead are false, Geo Urdu News reported.
The report came amid speculation on social media that JeM founder has died.
However, there was no official confirmation.
Quoting unnamed sources close to the family of the JeM chief, the channel said Azhar is “alive”, without elaborating on his health condition.
There was no official word on Azhar’s fate from the Pakistan government.
“I don’t know anything at this moment,” Pakistan’s Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said, when asked about media reports claiming death of Azhar.
A resident of Bahawalpur in Pakistan’s Punjab province, Azhar formed the Jaish-e-Mohammed in 2000.
The 50-year-old Azhar, who was released by the National Democratic Alliance government in 1999 in exchange of hostages of the hijacked Indian Airlines plane IC-814, has been accused of being the mastermind of the 2001 Parliament attack, suicide attack on Jammu and Kashmir state assembly, attack on the Pathankot IAF base and the latest Pulwama terror strike.
08:21 Cong’s Khurshid says Abhinandan ‘matured’ as fighter pilot under UPA, draws flak:
Former union minster and Congress leader Salman Khurshid said IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman earned his flying badge in 2004 and “matured” as a fighter pilot during the UPA rule, remarks which attracted criticism on the social media.
“Many kudos for Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, the face of India’s resistance to enemy aggression. Great poise and confidence in face of adversity. We are proud that he received his wings in 2004 and matured as fighter pilot during UPA,” Khurshid tweeted.
After attracting criticism on the social media for “taking credit”, Khurshid on Sunday said that he had only “stated the truth”.
“I had said that he (the pilot) joined the IAF during our tenure. I had only stated the truth,” he told reporters.
After being held in captivity for nearly 60 hours, Wing Commander Abhinandan was released by Pakistan and handed over to India at the Attari-Wagah border on Friday night.
Days after Pulwama attack of February 14, which left 40 CRPF personnel dead, the Indian Air Force carried out an air strike at Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp inside Pakistan.
Pakistan retaliated by attempting to bomb Indian military installations on Wednesday morning. The attempt was foiled by the Indian Air Force. In an ensuing dogfight, Varthaman’s MiG-21 was shot down after he brought down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet.
— PTI
07:53 Tornado kills 14 in US state of Alabama:
A tornado killed 14 people and caused “catastrophic” damage in the southern US state of Alabama on Sunday, a local sheriff said.
“At this time, we have 14 confirmed fatalities,” Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones said in a video posted on Facebook by a journalist from a local CBS affiliate.
Other people have been hospitalised, some with “very serious injuries”, while the search is still continuing for more who are missing, he said.
Jones described the damage caused by the storm as “catastrophic, based on the destruction of homes that we’ve seen”. The swath of destruction caused by the storm was a quarter mile (0.4 kilometres) wide and stretched for the “several miles that it travelled on the ground”, according to Jones.
While the sheriff referred to a single storm, some US media outlets reported that multiple twisters had hit the county.
Source: Rediff